My Left Foot

Some of you will know, if you have read some of my previous blogs, that I enjoy really good films. By “really good films” I don’t mean the light-hearted fluff that is frequently released these days.

A few days ago, I was in a charity shop and I came across a film called “My Left Foot” (those of you not familiar with the plot can be excused for thinking it could be about football) but in actual fact it tells the true story of Christy Brown an Irish writer, painter and poet who was born with severe cerebral palsy into a desperately poor working class family in Crumlin, Dublin on June 5^th 1932. His parents, Bridget and Patrick had 22 siblings, and of these 22, only 17 lived. Four of the children died in infancy. At his birth doctors, had advised the family to commit him to a hospital, but both his parents were determined to bring him up in the family home.

During his adolescence Katriona Delahunt, a social worker began to visit him, providing him with books and painting materials as he had previously shown signs of an interest in both the arts and literature. Christy had learnt to write and draw using the only limb he had any control over – his left foot - hence the title of the film.

The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy, and he turns in a remarkable performance as the severely handicapped cerebral palsy sufferer. Brenda Fricker stars as Christy’s mother, and she too gives a wonderful performance. Both she and Day-Lewis won Academy Awards for their performances. The film was also nominated for awards in the following categories – Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. This gives you some idea of the quality of the film. It isn’t a film to “entertain” – it certainly makes you think, but it is well worth spending 99 minutes viewing it.

A Pat on the Back for Virgin Media!

Last week I received information from Virgin Media that they were requiring all users of their internet service to upgrade their hubs before Saturday 1st April. Is this an early April Fools Day Stunt I asked myself? However, when I read a little more about it I saw that they would be sending me a new hub completely free of charge! Then my mind went back to the saga of the Virgin TV Zapper (see my blog of 27.02.17.) and I was filled with horror. Would I again be going through the "press one for... press two for..." etc?

The new hub arrived and I unpacked it. There inside the box was a new 3.0 hub, a hub 3.0 power unit, a hub 3.0 wall plug and a spanner (to disconnect the HDMI cable from the old router and fasten it securely to the new one. There was also a rather lavish booklet entitled "Setting Up Your Virgin Media 3.0 Hub" Before attempting to set up the new hub I carefully read through the instructions and followed them to the letter.

Then my eye caught the sentence on the front of the booklet which stated "You'll need to call our automated line to get your services on line" Ha! I thought. Here we go again! Much to my amazement after pressing three number selections I got through to a real live person - a technical advisor, who pressed the necessary buttons at his end and then told me my hub wasn't connecting and he would have to send a technician round to my house, but he concluded by saying "Don't go off the line, I'll give it another try" Much to my amazement some ten minutes later I was up and running!

Well Done Virgin Media!

Carnage at Westminster

I watched and listened with horror at the events unravelling at Westminster Bridge and the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday. I just happened to have my computer on and was watching the live BBC News.

Looking back over the events 48 hours later certain things stand out. Firstly the enormous courage of an unarmed policeman in trying to prevent the attack. Over recent years our policemen have come in for some criticism from various factions of the community - particularly those who demand more "freedom" ' but to get back to PC Keith Palmer he was employed in "doing his job" which in this instance involved standing up to a knife wielding madman. Unfortunately he paid for it with his life.

Tobias Ellwood, the MP who went to his aid showed tremendous courage too. He wasn't to know that other assassins weren't in the vicinity.

Mary Creagh the MP for Wakefield also showed courage and common sense. She left the safety of Portcullis House and headed for Westminster Tube Station to the control room to warn that members of the public could be at risk if they remained in the station. (I imagine she recalled the carnage when bombs went off in the underground.) As a result the station was evacuated and then closed.

There was a magnificent response from all the emergency services - special mention has to be made of the nurses who dashed to the scene on Westminster Bridge from nearby St Thomas' Hospital with trolley loads of equipment, the paramedics and first responders too.

The inevitable questions were posed by the media - could anything more have been done to prevent this kind of attack? - surely anyone with a grain of common sense could work out the answer to that question! Everything was done that could possibly have been done. Armed police are always on patrol. The secret service spends a great deal of time and effort in tracking suspects. Short of tracking every suspect person and constructing a bomb proof barrier and parking tanks  outside Parliament there really is no way a lone attacker can be spotted before he launches his murderous attempt.

I then got round to thinking about the mindset of Khalid Masood. How could he possibly expect to succeed with all the necessary protection in place? All he has managed to do is cause untold grief and misery to many innocent families, If, as has been claimed, this was "inspired" by IS, the sooner their adherents are hunted down and disposed of, the better.

With Nicola Sturgeon at the head it's more a feeling of "Scotland the Mad" rather than "Scotland the Brave"

My wife and I enjoy visiting Scotland - in fact we have spent a great deal of time there during our holidays over the past twenty or more years, but I really am beginning to wonder what on earth some of the Scots people are thinking of when they back Nicola Sturgeon.

When I read about and hear her demands for a Scotland free from England I detect the ranting and raving of a person seeking to fulfil her own power mad wishes. Her demands for a second vote on independence in the face of what seems to be not a great deal of support smacks of her uninformed seeking after power. It seems that in the current political climate (and I am sorry to say that I have to include England in this as well) there is a type of thinking which says "If I don't get the result I want from a referendum I will call for a second referendum!" In England we have had this over the result of the referendum to leave the EU. Now the Scots are demanding a second referendum over independence, and Nicola Sturgeon is heading the fight for independence.

Thank goodness the the indomitable Theresa May has stood up against her demands and it seems that there will be no voting a second time, at least until England has triggered Article 50 and finally withdrawn from the EU.

If Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP get their way it could mean that whenever I go "over the border" I may be required to show my passport, exchange my currency and goodness only knows what else!

I have always found the Scottish people to be very hospitable and friendly whenever I have been there. Please don't let Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP spoil our friendship!

Now We Know Who Keeps The Government In Order

Let me state right from the outset that I am not a political animal. I regard politics and most politicians as a necessary evil, but I sometimes wonder if some of the serving members of Parliament are "worth their salt"

How could Chancellor Philip Hammond, in his recent budget, decide to put up national insurance for the self employed? DIdn't he remember that only a few months previously one of the manifesto promises was that this wouldn't happen?

In response to question by SNP's Alex Salmond on who first realised that the government was in flagrant breach of their manifesto commitment - was it the Chancellor or was it the Prime Minister? he stated, "I think credit where credit's due. I think it was actually Laura Kuennsberg. It was on the BBC shortly after I'd said it in the budget speech."

Really! Doesn't the right hand know what the left hand is doing?

We Now Have Two Zappers

I'm sure you have heard the comment about waiting for a bus then along come three. Well it was a bit like that on Monday morning. You remember that I had ordered a zapper from Virgin Media, and it never turned up after a week, so I spoke to another customer service operator. He assured me that he would put one in the post straight away. One duly arrived on Friday. Then on Monday morning another one dropped through the letter box! I'm now waiting for the third one to arrive!

Everything Comes To He Who Waits, As Long As He Waits Long Enough

On Monday 27th February I first contacted Virgin Media about the problems I was having with my Catch Up TV not selecting certain programmes. After interminable problems I finally got through to a real live person - not a series of recorded messages, A whole day was wasted by the people at Customer Service who really didn't seem capable of solving my problems, even after I got through to the technical staff.

A second day was wasted again trying to get through to a real live person, and eventually a technical assistant decided that my zapper was at fault, He promised me I would have a new one in three working days.

I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but when nothing had arrived by Monday 6 March I thought I would have another attempt at speaking to a real live person in Customer Services. I eventually got a person who asked me the usual questions: name, address, postcode, account number, how do I pay my bill, which bank do I use. I was really surprised he didn't ask me my blood group! I told him I had supplied all this information to two of his colleagues previously, but he cheerfully explained it was "for security purposes" - I think I could have got into the Bank of England vaults with greater ease!

However he did find my details and couldn't understand why I hadn't received a replacement zapper, and promised to "put one in the post". I told him I had been promised this a week previously, so I wouldn't be surprised if nothing happened. Before he went off the line I asked him "How do you get directly through to a real person, not a series of pre recorded questions?" and he gave me a means of doing this. I also pointed out that first impressions were that the Virgin Media Customer Service Phone system seemed to be full of helpful hints, that is until you got the Press one for.... press two for... etc etc. I told him it was almost impossible to speak to a real live person. I suggested that he contacted Richard Branson with my comments. I wouldn't hold your breath. I'm not expecting a response from Richard!!!!!

Surprise, surprise! On Friday morning you will never guess what came through the letter box...........

One brand new Virgin Media zapper, complete with new batteries. I am still suffering from the shock!

The Virgin Media Saga Continues

Well, I awoke this morning full of excitement and expectancy. It was the day I had been promised a new Virgin Zapper. Once I had that in my hands and the batteries inserted I would be able to use the Catch Up TV facility again. 

Dinnertime came and went. The postman came and went, and guess what - no zapper!

So much for Virgin Media Customer Support! Or maybe I am being unfair. Has the post office van been held up by a gang of masked raiders intent on stealing a Virgin Media Zapper?

Who knows?

Never mind. Tomorrow we plan to go for a run up to Masham. We have been invited to a friend's son's wedding at the church there. The reception is at an establishment called Camp Katur (think glamping and geo domes), and so we will be exploring the delights of this venue, and probably calling in at the place we have booked two nights accommodation, as well as retrieving a shoe horn we left at the King's Head in the market square in Masham when we were up there in January. Oh what an exciting life we lead!

The Saga with Virgin Media Continues..........

In my last post I told of the problems with Virgin Media Customer Service.

Well after a couple of days, (to recover from the trauma!) I made contact with them again. I had to go through the whole silly and time wasting rigmarole I mentioned previously, and eventually I got to speak to a real live person. She began by asking me the questions I had previously been asked (presumably for identification purposes) - so I cut to the chase, and gave her all the answers she would need before she asked any questions, and concluded it by saying that I had already supplied various people within the company with this information, and now knew the answers to the questions before they were asked!

I eventually was passed to a technical operator, and once again explained my problem - namely that the catch up Tv section would not let me put in my four digit pin number. To preclude the time wasting rigmarole I also explained that I had turned off and re booted the digibox, so there was no need for this to be done again (It had been done by a technician previously, despite the fact that I told them I had already done this!) - It made no difference to my problem. To be fair to this technician, he said hold the line a couple of minutes and I will pass you over to someone who may be able to help you. (The couple of minutes turned out to be nearer twelve!) but eventually I got another technician. He seemed to know what I was talking about and after trying various solutions (None of which worked!!) he came to the conclusion the the Virgin Zapper was at fault and is sending me a new one. 

It will take "between one and three days to arrive" which doesn't really help me as the programme I was wanting to watch is no longer available on catch up after two more days.
I laughingly suggested that he might like to send the zapper air mail.

Watch this space for updates............

Where are all the real live people at the other end of Customer Care Phone Lines?

Recently I have read a number of complaints about the lack of real people at the end of customer care phone lines. Initially I thought these complaints probably stemmed from the "perpetual complainer" type of person, but I have found in my case that they are indeed very genuine complaints.

Let me explain. For a goodly number of years we have used Virgin Media to supply our broadband, telephone line and TV signals, and all has been more or less satisfactory. Today however, when selecting catch up to watch a  TV programme I had missed on the previous day, things were not working according to the usual procedure, which is:-

On the Virgin Media zapper select "Home" followed by "Catch Up" followed by Channel/Day/Programme Title, then press select and play, and by the magic of Virgin Media Catch Up there is your selected programme playing back for you. But not today! After pressing play I got a box up which asked me to put in my 4 digit code, before I could watch the programme. As I have never come across this request (or for that matter a four digit code) I looked for help on the zapper. It gave me various selections, none of which gave me a four digit code. It also gave me a phone number to contact. When I dialled this I went through interminable choose 1 for...2 for... 3 for...etc, and I was finally asked to press the third digit of my password. "What password" I thought to myself - I've never come across a password, so once again I consulted the pre recorded voice to be regaled with press one for... two for... three for... etc etc ad nauseum and a final request for my four digit number (You may remember that this is what I was trying to find originally!)

No matter what I tried I was met by pre recorded voice, In desperation I called 118180 which is the Virgin Media telephone enquiry number and again after meeting a press one for... two for... I eventually got through to a real live person, who gave me three numbers I might like to try. I tried the first one, and guess what? I was back with the original pre recorded message.

Virgin Media Customer Care? Don't give me that Bull..it - its more like customer confusion!!

Holidays and Ferry Bookings All Done

It may seem a long time in advance, but I have just completed booking our Late Summer Holidays. I call them "Late Summer Holidays" because they usually start in September. Being involved in the "wedding trade" - (I am an organist at a local church) I usually wait until the wedding season has come to a close, so as not to disappoint any would be brides! The end of the season is usually around late September - hence our holidays usually starting then.

I found last year that our planned three weeks - a week in Dumfries and Galloway, followed by a week on the Isle of Arran, followed by a week in Northumberland, were difficult to arrange due, in the main, to the fact that we always take our chocolate labrador with us, so we go self catering. This means we have to book places which accept pets. For a goodly number of years we have used the same places,  but last year one of them was not available during the week I needed  it, however we were lucky to find another self catering establishment in the area which took pets and was available.

It can be a bit of a logistical nightmare as we also have to book a ferry on and off the Isle of Arran, which must fit in with our self catering bookings too. So this year I have booked very early and managed to get all three self catering establishments booked and the ferry booking all fitting in with our holiday plans!

My deputy organist usually takes his holidays after our holidays, but seeing that our holidays have been booked later this year, it may well be that I have to search for a replacement organist to cover for me during my holidays, and as my deputy says, finding a replacement organist is like trying to find hens teeth! So although the accommodation and ferry sailings are booked I may yet be searching for an organist!

Sir Ken Morrison - A True Yorkshirman

The news broke yesterday that Sir Ken Morrison the head of the Wm. Morrison Supermarket group had died aged 85.

I have a very slight personal interest in Sir Ken, as my wife nursed one of his relatives, and we got to know some of the family as a result. Like Sir Ken, they were unassuming, gentle and kindly people.

Sir Ken began working for his father, at the age of nine, on the family run eggs and butter market stall they had in Bradford market. One of his jobs was checking the eggs against a light. From these humble beginnings he grew the company into the 4th largest supermarket in the UK. He returned from National Service in 1952 to run the family business, which he didn't want to see sold.

His success was due, in the main, to his honest, sincere and humble approach to both his staff and his customers. The floor cleaner was treated by him in exactly the same way as the managers and office staff. He always kept his "feet on the ground" and was known to visit his stores as a "customer". He was known to have turned off lights that had been left on, check waste bins to see if any unnecessary food had been thrown out and also help stock the shelves! He had even been seen tidying up the shelves in rival supermarkets!

He had what some would call old fashioned views on many things. When asked if he would consider the appointment of management consultants, his reply was typical (and forthright) - "If you don't know how to run your own business it's time to give up isn't it?"

Ken was an outspoken Yorkshireman. After the 2010 appointment of Dalton Phillips as the CEO, at which Ken was not happy, he kept a careful eye on the company goings on, and forecast that things were not looking good for the company under Dalton Phillips direction. His predictions were correct and the company began loosing market share and for the first time forecast negative results.

At the AGM in 2014, Ken showed his mettle when he squared up to Dalton Phillips with this comment....

"When I left work, and started working as a hobby, I chose to raise cattle. I have something like 1,000 bullocks, and having listened to your presentation, Dalton, you have a lot more bulls**t than me!"

The following year David Potts was appointed as CEO and the company has been successfully turned around and in 2017 announced the best festive results in seven years.

I am sure Sir Ken would have been delighted at those results.

Problems Ahead in Politics and with Security

Well it rather looks like Theresa has landed herself with a bit of a problem by being eager to see President Trump over here for a state visit. It has certainly unleashed plenty of ill feeling towards our Donald. There have been demonstrations the length and breadth of the country. A local Leeds solicitor has started an online petition which has very rapidly gained the necessary total of votes for it to be discussed in parliament. I really wonder just how genuine the opinions of some of the people who have registered their protest via the petition are. I know lots of people who will subscribe to any protest on line - no matter what the cause! I suspect many of these people protest online just to cock a snoop at either their local politician or the government.

There are also plenty more demonstrations at airports in America, where lots of people have been caught mid transit by the new security regulations on immigration into America. I foresee a turbulent few weeks in politics!!

This morning it was interesting to read about a lady who was caught up in the security precautions at an airport in Germany. She had carried an article through the metal screening device, and was pulled to one side when it showed up. She was asked to explain what the device was, and she told the security lady that it was a breast pump - used to help her express milk for her infant. She was told, "But you don't have a baby with you", and asked to express some milk to prove her point! She duly obliged, but was somewhat cross at the demands which had been made of her!!!! 

Oh! by the way. She was not white skinned - she came from Singapore. I wonder if a white person would have had to do the same thing?

The 45th President of the USA

It is quite a long time since I did a blog, (January 2014 to be precise) and so here goes.

At the moment I am suffering from a surfeit of Donald J Trump news. I wonder how he is going to make out as the 45th President of the USA. He seems to have had no previous experience in politics so it will be interesting to see how he progresses. He has certainly gathered both allies and enemies on his journey to the White House!

One wonders how he will handle the pressures of the job. He is not in control of a business empire now, and I sure that he will find a big difference when he comes across people who oppose him.

On the "plus" side, he must be used to handling large organisations, and certainly seems to have been successful in so doing - or was it that he was ruthless? I am certain that he won't be able to run the White House in the same way! 

I think we could be in for an interesting time in US politics.